Saturday, April 25, 2026

Smoke in This Life and Not the Next

Sat, Apr 25 – Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist (Venice)
Virtue: Courage & Clarity
Cigar: Italian-grown Toscano‑style — rugged, maritime, pilgrim’s smoke
Bourbon: Four Roses Single Barrel — clean, direct, no haze

Reflection — “Walk Like a Man Who Plans to Die Well”

St. Mark built Venice’s backbone: a Gospel that cuts through fog. His lion stands on every pier because a man who carries truth must roar, not whisper. Venice learned that lesson early—build on water, but build with conviction.

St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi adds the harder edge: “Live in such a way that death finds nothing left to burn.” She meant it literally. Strip the vanity. Strip the excuses. Strip the soft habits that make a man flammable. A soul trained in small daily purifications dies like a soldier—packed, ready, unafraid.

So tonight’s smoke becomes a Venetian discipline:
steady draw, steady gaze, steady conscience.
I ask myself one question:

If death walked through my door tonight, what unfinished business would shame me?

Then I cut it out. No drama. No delay. A man who dies well lives clean.

APRIL 25 Saturday-Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist

1 Samuel, Chapter 13, Verse 6-7

When the soldiers saw they were in danger because the army was hardpressed, they hid themselves in caves, thickets, rocks, caverns, and cisterns. Other Hebrews crossed the Jordan into the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul, however, held out in Gilgal, all his army trembling in FEAR behind him.

This was a low point for Israel. Probably many of them thought, “What we really need is a king. A king would solve our problems.” Now they have a king, and the problems are still there. We often think things will “fix” problems when they won’t at all. “And hereby God intended to teach them the vanity of all fleshly confidence in men; and that they did not one jot less need the help and favor of God now than they did before, when they had no king.” [1]

Men are foolhardy things when faith and trust in God leaves; fear and pride enters. We see this in the response of the Jew’s to Pilate. When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus out and seated him on the judge’s bench in the place called Stone Pavement, in Hebrew, Gabbatha. It was preparation day for Passover, and it was about noon.And he said to the Jews, “Behold, your king!” They cried out, “Take him away, take him away! Crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your king?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” (John 19:13-15)

Copilot’s Take

Israel’s collapse under Saul reveals the anatomy of fear when God is no longer enthroned in the heart. The soldiers, seeing the Philistine threat, scatter into caves and cisterns, hiding in the dark places where faith cannot breathe. They had demanded a king, believing a human figure would secure what obedience once provided. Yet the Catechism teaches that human authority cannot replace divine sovereignty, and that trust in human power becomes a form of idolatry when it displaces trust in God. Their trembling behind Saul exposes the truth: a king without God is no king at all, and a people without trust are already defeated.

Fear always creates a vacuum, and evil rushes to fill it. The Catechism warns that fear distorts judgment, enslaves the heart, and becomes a doorway through which injustice enters. Israel’s fear made them blind to God’s presence; the same dynamic unfolds centuries later at Gabbatha. Pilate presents Christ as King, and the chief priests—terrified of losing influence—declare, “We have no king but Caesar.” Fear and pride always travel together. When faith leaves, fear enters; when fear enters, pride grasps for control; and when pride grasps, evil finds its foothold.

Yet the Gospel reveals a deeper paradox: Christ’s kingship is manifested not in the triumph Israel expected, but in the humiliation they feared. The Catechism teaches that Jesus reigns from the Cross, and that His obedience unto death is the definitive victory over evil. The crowd chooses Caesar, but God enthrones His Son with thorns. The trembling army behind Saul and the shouting mob before Pilate are mirror images of the same spiritual crisis—both scenes ask who truly rules the human heart when danger rises.

Confronting evil, then, begins with enthroning the right King. The Church teaches that Christ’s lordship is the antidote to fear, that His Cross shatters the dominion of the evil one, and that the Holy Spirit strengthens believers to resist deception. Evil is not defeated by louder voices, stronger leaders, or more impressive systems. It is defeated by fidelity, obedience, humility, and the courage that comes from knowing God—not Caesar, not Saul, not any human power—is King.

The soldiers hid in caves; the apostles hid in the upper room. But Scripture commands again and again: stand firm, do not fear, be still and know that I am God. The spiritual life is not a flight into safety but a stand under sovereignty. When fear tempts us to scatter, the Cross calls us to remain. When pride tempts us to grasp for control, the Crucified King calls us to surrender. When evil tempts us to choose the wrong king, the Gospel calls us to choose the only One who conquers by love.

In the end, this passage confronts us with a simple, searching truth: we all enthrone something when we are afraid. Israel crowned Saul. The priests crowned Caesar. The disciple must crown Christ. The question is not whether fear will come—it will—but whether fear will drive us into caves or drive us to the King who reigns from the Cross.

St. Mark, Evangelist

EPISTLE. I Peter 5:5-14

Beloved: Clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for: God opposes the proud but bestows favor on the humble. So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you. Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world undergo the same sufferings.
The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little. To him be dominion forever. Amen. I write you this briefly through Silvanus,
whom I consider a faithful brother, exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Remain firm in it. The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son. Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

GOSPEL. Mark 16: 15-20

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them ….

Saint Mark the Evangelist, like St. Luke, was not an apostle, as were the evangelists Matthew and John. Yet various prayers and Scriptures in the Sacred Liturgy are taken today from those set aside for the apostles. Why is this? Is the Church just too lazy to compose prayers specifically for the evangelists? Of course not.

The entire New Testament is apostolic in origin. Out of the 27 books of the New Testament, only two were not composed by apostles: the Gospel accounts of Mark and Luke. Yet even these two books are apostolic in origin, for St. Mark was a disciple of St. Peter, and St. Luke of St. Paul.

That St. Mark handed down the Gospel account that he had received from an apostle reminds us of two things. First, the Church is apostolic in origin, by the design of Jesus. It’s in unity with our bishops under the guidance of the Pope that we can hear the fullness of the Gospel. Second, each of us, like St. Mark, lives one’s own vocation to hand on to others the same Good News that’s been handed down through history by the apostles and their successors.

Feast of St. Mark[2]

John Mark, later known simply as Mark, was a Jew by birth. He was the son of that Mary who was proprietress of the Cenacle or "upper room" which served as the meeting place for the first Christians in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12). He was still a youth at the time of the Savior's death. In his description of the young man who was present when Jesus was seized and who fled from the rabble leaving behind his "linen cloth," the second Evangelist might possibly have stamped the mark of his own identity. During the years that followed, the rapidly maturing youth witnessed the growth of the infant Church in his mother's Upper Room and became acquainted with its traditions. This knowledge he put to excellent use when compiling his Gospel. Later, we find Mark acting as a companion to his cousin Barnabas and Saul on their return journey to Antioch and on their first missionary journey. But Mark was too immature for the hardships of this type of work and therefore left them at Perge in Pamphylia to return home. As the two apostles were preparing for their second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take his cousin with him. Paul, however, objected. Thereupon the two cousins undertook a missionary journey to Cyprus. Time healed the strained relations between Paul and Mark, and during the former's first Roman captivity (61-63), Mark rendered Paul valuable service (Col. 4:10; Philem. 24), and the Apostle learned to appreciate him.

When in chains the second time Paul requested Mark's presence (2 Tim. 4:11). An intimate friendship existed between Mark and Peter; he played the role of Peter's companion, disciple, and interpreter. According to the common patristic opinion, Mark was present at Peter's preaching in Rome and wrote his Gospel under the influence of the prince of the apostles. This explains why incidents which involve Peter are described with telling detail (e.g., the great day at Capharnaum, 1:14f)). Little is known of Mark's later life. It is certain that he died a martyr's death as bishop of Alexandria in Egypt. His relics were transferred from Alexandria to Venice, where a worthy tomb was erected in St. Mark's Cathedral. The Gospel of St. Mark, the shortest of the four, is, above all, a Roman Gospel. It originated in Rome and is addressed to Roman, or shall we say, to Western Christianity. Another high merit is its chronological presentation of the life of Christ. For we should be deeply interested in the historical sequence of the events in our blessed Savior's life. Furthermore, Mark was a skilled painter of word pictures. With one stroke he frequently enhances a familiar scene, shedding upon it new light. His Gospel is the "Gospel of Peter," for he wrote it under the direction and with the aid of the prince of the apostles. "The Evangelist Mark is represented as a lion because he begins his Gospel in the wilderness, `The voice of one crying in the desert: Make ready the way of the Lord,' or because he presents the Lord as the unconquered King."

Patron: Against impenitence; attorneys; barristers; captives; Egypt; glaziers; imprisoned people; insect bites; lions; notaries; prisoners; scrofulous diseases; stained glass workers; struma; Diocese of Venice, Florida; Venice, Italy.

Symbols: Winged lion; fig tree; pen; book and scroll; club; barren fig tree; scroll with words Pax Tibi; winged and nimbed lion; lion.
Often Pictured as: Man writing or holding his gospel; man with a halter around his neck; lion in the desert; man with a book or scroll accompanied by a winged lion; holding a palm and book; holding a book with pax tibi Marce written on it; bishop on a throne decorated with lions; helping Venetian sailors; rescuing Christian slaves from Saracens.

Feast of St. Mark, the Patron Saint of Venice[3]

In Italy April 25th is Liberation Day, a national holiday commemorating the end of World War II in 1945 and the Nazi occupation of Italy. But for Venetians April 25th is an even older holiday, Festa di San Marco, or The Feast of St Mark. April 25th is the anniversary of St Mark’s death in 68 A.D. and in Venice is a lively celebration. Mass is held in the morning at Saint Mark’s Basilica, and there is music, dancing, concerts and carnivals throughout the day. Of course it wouldn’t be a festival in Venice without a Gondola Race! The "Regata di Traghetti" starts at the island of Sant’Elena and ends at the Punta della Dogana, at the entrance of the Grand Canal. One look at Saint Mark’s Square with Saint Mark’s Basilica is proof enough that the city is anything but subtle about their pride in their patron saint. The winged lion, which represents St Mark and is the famous symbol of the city of Venice, can also be found in Piazza San Marco, and all over Venice for that matter. Saint Mark may be a ubiquitous symbol in Venice today, but before the year 828 Saint Mark's remains were in Alexandria. Being an important maritime power, Venice needed equally important relics, a status symbol at the time. Venetian merchants Buono da Malamocco and Rustico da Torcello were up for the job, and smuggled Saint Mark’s remains from Alexandria into Venice. They accomplished the difficult task by hiding the relics in shipments of pork meat, which were understandably off-putting to the Islamic inspectors. Perhaps it’s because of the great effort taken to "import" Saint Mark’s remains that Venetians have always been so proud of their patron saint.

Festival of the Blooming Rose

The celebration is also known as the "Festival of the Blooming Rose,” and it is tradition for men to give the woman they love a "bocolo," a red rose bud to symbolize their love. The legend surrounding the tradition of the rosebud centers on two star-crossed lovers, Maria Partecipazio, the Doge’s daughter, and Tancredi the troubadour. Maria was a beautiful noblewoman, whose father forbid her romance with Tancredi because of his lower social class. Tancredi enrolls in the army, seeking fame and glory through battle that would elevate his social status, making him able to return home worthy of Maria. He fought valiantly, but was ultimately killed in battle in Spain. Tancredi fell mortally wounded onto a rosebush, and with the last of his strength picked a rosebud and asked his friend Orlando the Paladin to take it back to Maria. Orlando returned to Venice on April 24th, and true to his word gave Maria the rosebud, still stained with Tancredi’s blood. The next day, on April 25th, Maria was found dead with the rose over her broken heart. So, while flowers are always a welcome gesture, if you’re in Venice for April 25th, be sure to symbolize your eternal love with a red rosebud!

The Rogation Days

These are the Church's special days of prayer during which the faithful beseech God for mercy in behalf of the bodily and spiritual needs of humanity, and especially to obtain His blessings upon the new growth in the fields. The term Rogation has been given these days because of the supplicatory and penitential exercises which characterize them. Outstanding are the special prayers (given in the Ritual and Breviary), the violet color of the vestments of the clergy and of the vestures, the Litany of the Saints sung during the procession and the special Rogation Mass.

Formerly such observances were more numerous than today, and they included fasting and abstinence. They were held in time of public calamity to appease the just wrath of God because of sin or to beseech Him to avert impending calamities. It is still common in many places for clergy and people to proceed to the fields, imploring God's blessing upon them. Antedating the Christian observance, and which the latter replaced, was the pagan festival of the Robigalia which sacrifices were offered to the god Robigus whose special task it was, as popularly believed, to keep blight from grain.

Today the Church has four such days to be observed during the year. The one replacing the pagan festival of April 25 coincides with the feast of St. Mark, celebrated on this day, and is called the Greater Litanies. The procession is held, and the Mass of Rogation is offered up. If the procession cannot possibly be held, whether out of doors or within the church, the Mass is of the feast of St. Mark, unless it occurs on a still greater feast, or during Easter week, when it is transferred. The three other Rogation Days, also called the Lesser Litanies immediately priced the feast of the Ascension. Their observance has come down to use form the institution at Vienna in France by Bishop Mamertus in the fifth century. Pope St. Leo III, towards the end of the eighth century, introduced practice for the universal church.

—Excerpted from "The Mind of the Church after Easter and at Whitsuntide: Participation Outlines" by Rembert Bularzik, OSB, Orate Fratres 1935-05-18: Vol 9 Iss 7, pp. 292-293

BANQUET for the Feast of St. Mark

· Feast of St. Mark-Mass

Bible in a year Day 295 Israel's Expectations

Fr. Mike mirrors the story of 1 Maccabees and Israel’s expectations of continued success onto our own lives, emphasizing that God’s marvelous plan exceeds our expectations and what we think should happen next in our lives. He invites us to worship and give to the Lord with freedom and generosity in response to God’s sacrificial love for us. Today’s readings are 1 Maccabees 14, Sirach 34-35, and Proverbs 23:22-25.

THIS WE BELIEVE

PRAYERS AND TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Prayer to the Holy Spirit[4]

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love.

Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

O God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy his consolations.

Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Fitness Friday-Sleeping Workout

Recognizing that God, the Father created man on Friday the 6^th day I propose in this blog to have an entry that shares on how to recreate and renew yourself in strength, mind, soul and heart.

Having trouble sleeping? Try some light catholic reading.

“The reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of the past centuries.” This quote is by the famous philosopher Descartes. Although I am not a fan of everything Descartes has to say, I don’t think he’s too far off here. Reading a good book by a good author is indeed like having a conversation with them. By reading their book you’re looking into their mind, experiencing their world, and learning their wisdom. In my opinion there are no greater people to have “conversations” with through their writing than Catholic saints. Catholic saints have written some of the most beautiful literature which inspires, educates, encourages, and informs us how to live a holy and happy life. Here is a list of ten classic Catholic books which any and every Catholic should read at some point in their life.

*If you’re not much of a reader, or if you don’t have much free time to pick up a book, many of these classic Catholic books have audio book versions.

· The Imitation of Christ by St. Thomas a Kempis

· Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska by St. Maria Faustina Kowalska

· Dark Night of the Soul by St. John of the Cross

· The Way of Perfection by St. Teresa of Avila

· The Story of a Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux

· An Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales

· City of God by St. Augustine

· Summa Theologica by St. Thomas Aquinas

· The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila

· The Confessions by St. Augustine

As you can tell, this list of great Catholic books by wonderful Catholic saints is in no particular order. These are just 10 of the many Catholic books written by wonderful saints who have so much timeless wisdom to share. Who wouldn’t want to have a conversation with any of these wonderful saints? What books would you add to this list of classic Catholic books? What does your favorite classic Catholic books list look like?

Fun things to do

· desert ridge marketplace is pleased to present villa fleur: a lavish pop-up experience specially crafted to celebrate spring.

o villa fleur will captivate guests transcending them into an eclectic atmosphere of rich prints and bold textures, striking visuals and lush florals. set under romantic lighting, guests will settle into parlor-style seating designed to ignite the senses while enjoying chef-driven fare and elixirs and a state-of-the-art projection show designed exclusively for villa fleur. this rare journey is available for a limited time from March 14 – May 11.

Copper Still Distillery

Fido is welcome to join you for specialty cocktails at the dog-friendly attraction Copper Still Distillery. A small family-owned distillery, you and Fido are invited to the front or rear patios to enjoy a wide selection of flavored moonshine, vodka, whiskey, gin, and rum. Copper Still has a full bar and showcases tasty seasonal signature cocktails which you can remake at home using spirits sold on the premises. Light snacks are available as you sit and relax with a delicious refreshing summer cocktail or whiskey.

· New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival--April 23-May 3--Love jazz? Join fellow music lovers at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Held every year since 1970, the annual Jazz Fest, as it’s called, showcases nearly every music genre, from blues to R&B, and everything else in between. It’s all performed across 12 stages during the last weekend in April.

· Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival—April 24 thru May 3-- Take in the small-town charm of Winchester, VA, in this 6-day celebration of spring. First held in 1924, the annual festival packs a wallop of more than 30 events into its lineup: band competitions, dances, parades, carnival, a 10K race, the coronation of Queen Shenandoah and so much more, attracting crowds in excess of 250,000.

· National Food Month

o 20 foods that taste better frozen

· Spirit Hour: Visit a ICE bar

o Not in your Lingerie

· Bucket List trip: ICE hotel

· World Penguin Day

Go to Slide Rock

Beware of others’ butts when in the water!

Dog friendly activity in Lake Havasu

Daily Devotions

· Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: The sanctification of the Church Militant.

· Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Make reparations to the Holy Face

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Universal Man Plan

[1] http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/0913.htm

[2]http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/calendar/day.cfm?date=2017-04-25

[3]https://www.kissfromitaly.com/en/blog/the-feast-of-saint-mark-in-venice

[4]https://www.usccb.org/prayers/angelus

IT’S LOVE AGAIN (1936)
Jessie Matthews, Robert Young, Sonnie Hale
A light‑on‑its‑feet musical comedy where ambition, imagination, and identity collide—and where a woman’s courage to step into a role she doesn’t yet deserve becomes the very thing that transforms her.

1. Production & Historical Setting

Released in 1936 by Gaumont British and directed by Victor Saville, It’s Love Again is a quintessential mid‑’30s British musical—stylish, brisk, and built around Jessie Matthews’ star power. bing.com

The film sits in the era’s fascination with celebrity culture, gossip columns, and the blurred line between publicity and reality. Matthews plays the aspiring performer; Robert Young the columnist who fabricates a glamorous adventuress to fill his empty page; Sonnie Hale the comic foil. Wikipedia

The world of the film is London at its most theatrical—nightclubs, newsrooms, stage doors, and the fantasy of overnight fame. It’s a society hungry for spectacle, where truth is optional but charm is mandatory.

2. Story Summary

Gossip columnist Peter Carlton (Robert Young), desperate for a story, invents a mysterious high‑society daredevil named Mrs. Smythe‑Smythe—a woman who hunts tigers, leaps from airplanes, and captivates every man in London. Wikipedia

Enter Elaine Bradford (Jessie Matthews), a struggling singer‑dancer who sees opportunity in the lie. She impersonates the fictional woman, stepping into a world of glamour, danger, and attention she’s never known.

What follows is a dance of deception and discovery:

Elaine’s courage meets Peter’s cynicism.
Her hunger for a break meets his hunger for a headline.
Her innocence meets the absurdity of a society that believes anything if it sparkles.

As the ruse grows, so does the chemistry. Elaine’s talent and sincerity begin to outshine the invented persona, and Peter finds himself drawn not to the myth he created but to the woman who dared to embody it.

The film resolves not with punishment for the lie but with recognition: sometimes stepping into a bigger story is how a person grows into their true self.

3. Spiritual & Moral Resonances

A. Identity as Vocation, Not Costume
Elaine begins by pretending—but the pretense reveals her real gifts. The film suggests that sometimes a man or woman must act “as if” in order to become.

B. The Power of Courageous Imagination
Elaine’s leap into the invented role mirrors the spiritual truth that courage often precedes clarity. She risks humiliation to pursue her calling.

C. Vanity vs. Authenticity
The world around her loves the glamorous lie; Peter and Elaine grow only when they confront what’s real. Truth becomes the foundation for love.

D. Humility as Strength
Elaine’s charm comes from her humility—she knows she’s pretending, and that self‑knowledge keeps her grounded even as the world inflates her.

E. Redemption Through Honest Work
Her success ultimately comes not from the persona but from her talent, discipline, and willingness to show up. The lie opens the door; the work keeps it open.

4. Hospitality Pairing — The London Stage Table

Strong black tea — the working performer’s fuel.
Tea biscuits with a thin layer of marmalade — sweetness earned, not assumed.
A single theatrical playbill on the table — reminder that every vocation begins backstage.
A sprig of mint — freshness, reinvention, the courage to step into the light.

A setting for evenings when you need to remember that boldness and humility can coexist—and that sometimes the role you dare to play becomes the life you were meant to live.

5. Reflection Prompts

Where am I waiting for permission instead of stepping into the role I’m called to play?
What “invented identities” in my life are actually pointing toward real, undeveloped gifts?
Where do I rely on spectacle instead of substance?
Who in my life helps me distinguish between performance and vocation?
What small act of courage would move me from backstage to center stage in my own story?

If you want, I can also build a double‑feature devotional pairing this with Evergreen or First a Girl for a Jessie‑Matthews‑as‑vocation arc.